NEW PLYMOUTH, New Zealand, 10 June 2003 — England forward power overcame New Zealand Maori 23-9 in a rain-drenched opener to their brief southern hemisphere tour yesterday.
The England second string pack put tremendous pressure on the Maori pack early in the match and a rolling maul pushed lock Simon Shaw over the line in the ninth minute. Replacement scrumhalf Andy Gomarsall clinched the match with a try three minutes from time after wing Dan Luger had been stopped on the line following a powerful run through the Maori defense.
The win avenged the humiliating 62-14 loss five years ago when England fielded an under-strength side and captain Phil Vickery was a relieved man afterward.
England play New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday and complete their tour on the following Saturday with a match against world champions Australian in Melbourne.
From the opening whistle the England pack denied the Maori any possession.
Shaw earned England a deserved reward for their early dominance by going over in a strong driving maul from a lineout 10 meters from the line. It looked as if the Maori defense had done enough to splinter the drive, but England managed to regroup and keep the ball rolling for Shaw to fall over the line.
That try put England in front after they had fallen behind to a fifth-minute Glen Jackson penalty and they went close a number of times only to be thwarted by some dynamic Maori defense.
The Maori had kept in touch after turning around 6-10 down, with Jackson converting a penalty and Paul Grayson kicking two more to add to his single effort in the first spell. At 16-9 to England, the Maori had concerted efforts in England territory without success, before Gomersall made a break, passed to Luger who ran 40 meters, only to be hauled down centimeters from the line. From the resultant scrum Gomersall scampered over and substitute flyhalf Alex King converted for what in the end was a comfortable win.
